Lyly, John · published 1584 · first performed or written c.1583 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) · before the Court T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs typicality 0.88 · 512 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
I marvel Cupid cometh not all this while. How now, in Sappho's lap? Yea Venus, what say you to it, in Sappho's lap. Sir boy, come hither? I will not. What now? will you not? hath Sapho made you so saucy? I will be Sappho's son, I have as you commanded stricken her with a deep disdain of Phao, and Phao as she entreated me, with a great despite of you. Unhappy wag, what hast thou done? I will make thee repent it every vain in thy heart. Venus be not choleric, Cupid is mine, he hath given me his Arrows, and I will give him a new bow to shoot in. You are not worthy to be the Lady of love, that yield so often to the impressions of love. Immodest Venus, that to satisfy the unbridled thoughts of thy heart, transgressest so far from the stay of thine honour. how sayest thou Cupid, wilt thou be with me? Yes. Shall not I be on earth the Goddess of affections? Yes. Shall not I rule the fancies of men, and lead Venus in chains like a captive? Yes. It is a good boy. What have we here? you the Goddess of Love? and you her son, Cupid? I will tame that proud heart, else shall the Gods say, they are not Venus friends. And as for you, sit boy, I will teach you how to run away: you shallbe stripped from top to toe, and whipped with nettles, not roses. I will set you to blow Vulcan's coals, not to bear Venus' quiver, I will handle you for this gear: well, I say no more. But as for the new Mistress of love, or Lady, I cry you mercy, I think you would be called a Goddess, you shall know what it is to usurp the name of Venus. I will pull those plumes, and cause you to cast your eyes on your feet, not your feathers: your soft hair will I turn to hard bristles, your tongue to a sting, and those alluring eyes to unluckiness, in which if the God's aid me not, I will curse the Gods. Venus, you are in a vain answerable to your vanity, whose high words neither become you, nor fear me. But let this suffice, I will keep Cupid in despite of you, and yet with the content of the Gods. Will you? why then we shall have pretty Gods in heaven, when you take God's prisoners on earth. Before I sleep you shall both repent, and find what it is but to think unreverently of Venus. Come Cupid, she knows not how to use thee, come with me, you know what I have for you: will you not? Not I. Well, I will be even with you both, & that shortly, Cupid, fear not, I will direct thine arrows better. Every rude ass shall not say he is in love. It is a toy made for Ladies, and I will keep it only for Ladies. But what will you do for Phao?
nodes 497–517 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 26 of 27 in this edition
Length
512 words · 669 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.883 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T21 · seed 44: T24 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I meruale Cupid commeth not all this while. How now, in Saphoes lappe? Yea Venus, what say you to it, in Saphoes lap. Sir boy, come hither? I will not. What now? will you not? hath Sapho made you so sawcie? I wil be Saphoes sonne, I haue as you commanded striken her with a deepe disdaine of Phao, and Phao as she entreated me, with a great despite of you. Vnhappy wag, what hast thou done? I will make thee repent it euery vaine in thy heart. Venus be not collerick, Cupid is mine, he hath giuen me his Arrowes, and I will giue him a new bowe to shoote in. You are not worthy to be the Ladye of loue, that yeelde so often to the impressions of loue. Immodest Venus, that to satisfie the vnbrideled thoughtes of thy hearte, transgressest so farre from the staye of thine honour. Howe sayest thou Cupid, wilt thou bee with me? Yes. Shall not I bee on earth the Goddesse of affections? Yes. Shall not I rule the fansies of men, and leade Venus in chaines like a captiue? Yes. It is a good boy. What haue we here? you the Goddesse of Loue? and you her sonne, Cupid? I will tame that proud heart, els shall the Gods say, they are not Venus friendes. And as for you, sit boy, I will teach you how to run away: you shalbe stript from toppe to toe, and whipt with nettles, not roses. I will set you to blowe Vulcans coales, not to beare Venus quiuer, I will handle you for this geare: well, I say no more. But as for the new Mistresse of loue, or Lady, I cry you mercie, I think you would be called a Goddesse, you shall know what it is to vsurpe the name of Venus. I will pull those plumes, and cause you to cast your eyes on your feete, not your feathers: your softe hayre will I turne to harde bristles, your tongue to a stinge, and those alluring eyes to vnluckynes, in which if the Gods ayde me not, I will cursse the Gods. Venus, you are in a vaine aunswerable to your vanitie, whose highe woordes neither beecome you, nor feare mee. But lette this suffice, I will keepe Cupid in dispighte of you, and yet with the contente of the Gods. Will you? why then we shal haue pretie Gods in heauen, when you take Gods prisoners on earth. Before I sleepe you shall both repent, and finde what it is but to thinke vnreuerently of Venus. Come Cupid, shee knowes not how to vse thee, come with mee, you knowe what I haue for you: will you not? Not I. Well, I will be euen with you both, & that shortlye, Cupid, feare not, I will direct thine arrowes better. Euery rude asse shall not say he is in loue. It is a toye made for Ladies, and I will keepe it onely for Ladies. But what will you doe for Phao?